Random Tales of Natsume and Ruka
by Midnight-Waterlily33
Summary: ON HIATUS: See my profile! I'm sorry! Several short stories, random snippets, and fluff. Be warned, some do contain boy x boy like for now, the first and only chapter but most will not. But it's thrown in there some places. Shouldn't be too many; I love the friendship between Natsume and Ruka more. Just a lot of randomness and drabbles. Some are AU, some not.
1. Chapter 1: Forget It

**Random story numero uno: THIS ONE'S BOYXBOY! You have been warned.  
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**Umm... yep, this is just a lot of fluff, really. Just little drabbles. More to come. Just me writing whatever comes to mind.  
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**Annnnd finally: I could never possibly own Gakuen Alice.  
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**Enjoy!  
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**FORGET IT**

Ruka felt really bad.

Kokoro and Kitsneme were playing beer pong with Anna and Nonoko close by, hanging all over the two, laughing and flirting and spilling drinks. Even Hotaru was uncharacteristically relaxed as she lounged in an armchair, flirting a little with Yuu, unaware of the inappropriate position she was in, inattentively exposing herself like Mikan often did. And as for that pigtailed brunette, she had puked and passed out a long while back, being the biggest lightweight any of the kids had ever seen.

But Ruka and Natsume were seated on the couch, uncharacteristically close, and Ruka's mind was reeling with a million different thoughts as he watched his best friend rocking back and forth like it was the most entertaining ride in the world. Natsume was completely 100 percent _smashed, _and we were talking so far fucked that he was guaranteed a blackout and a massive hangover and he gave up all self control hours ago. As for Ruka, he was lightly buzzed; a nice warm feeling that was barely there.

And yet his mind was reeling with inappropriate things that he wished he could blame on alcohol.

Ruka had coaxed Natsume into four beers, after which, Natsume had loosened up a little and then played five rounds of a drinking card game called Under the Bus with Ruka. Natsume lost miserably, and after 'going under the bus' five times, he'd had a third of a bottle of cherry vodka straight.

Now Natsume was a shit-faced mess, and Ruka was babysitting him on the sofa as he tried to reach for another open can of beer that wasn't even his.

"No, Natsume," Ruka swiped it from him. "I think you've had enough."

"But… but… I'm… not even…drunk," Natsume slurred.

"Of course you aren't," Ruka said patiently, and Natsume giggled. Hearing such a thing come from him just proved he was gone.

Natsume burped and went on to Ruka, speaking a hell of a lot more than he ever did usually, "You know, Mikan… she… she did the funniest thing the other day…" he started laughing uncontrollably, without even finishing the sentence.

"That's great, Natsume," Ruka said, and he watched the other party-goers as Natsume continued his drunken babble. Ruka really didn't want to hear anything about Mikan. He was in a strange mood. Natsume kept trying to get his hands on more drinks, and Ruka continued to take them swiftly away.

"Wonder how Mikan is," Natsume managed to say, and Ruka reminded him,

"She's asleep. She got sick, remember." Some part of him was upset that Natsume still managed to think of her. This was the sixth time he'd asked about her, his drunken mind forgetting everything short-term.

All of a sudden, Nonoko screamed, and a launched ping-pong ball came flying at Ruka. He ducked, and in return the ball hit Natsume in the face.

Everyone stopped and fell silent. Nonoko shrunk, looking scared about whatever scary punishment Natsume was going to inflict now, but Natsume just burst out cracking up. It was a sigh of relief as they all knew he was way too drunk to be himself.

Screaming and squealing increased as time went on and boys grew grabbier, girls teased more, and bottles emptied. Cups spilled, things broke, and everyone was now stumbling, falling and oh God, _touching _way more than they needed to. Ruka looked up and realized that Yuu and Hotaru were on the floor together, and Koko, Kitsuneme, Anna and Nonoko were all falling on top of one another, making a bigger mess every second.

Ruka was done. He could deal with drunks. He could deal with Natsume being giggly and even with Mikan throwing up, but he didn't want to watch other people grope each other and he didn't want to hear it anymore after the first something glass got smashed.

Ruka stood and moved to go upstairs, and Natsume, realizing no one was listening to his rant any longer, called, "Where you going?"

"Upstairs…" he paused, his mind going back to that place. "You wanna come?"

"Oh, yeah," Natsume said it as if he'd forgotten that it was something he was already planned to do. He stood up, but his knees wobbled, and he instantly fell down. Ruka came to his side and yanked him up by his waist, leading him ever so slowly up the stairs.

Natsume laughed cutely. "Thanks, Ruka."

Ruka blushed at the thought that he just had of Natsume being cute. But it really was something to hear him laughing so much.

Ruka opened the door to an abandoned bedroom and turned on a bedside lamp. Natsume naturally flopped down on the bed, too wobbly to stand.

Ruka scowled, wondering if he could take sleeping in the same room as drunken Natsume. "Natsume, you're gonna have to move over," he told his delirious best friend. "I'm not sleeping on the floor."

"Mm," Natsume replied and slowly wrenched himself over a few feet, seeming to struggle. He collapsed again, almost suffocating in the pillow. Something about that started him laughing again.

Ruka moved to Natsume's side and sat on the mattress. His mind reeled with the forbidden. Natsume, in a drunken haze, would do just about anything Ruka asked. He was already not himself; giggly and vulnerable, it would be so easy… too easy for Ruka to do what he so much longed for.

"It's cold in here," Natsume complained, looking at Ruka.

"And?" Ruka questioned. Since when did Natsume whine about silly things like cold? Right, when he was plastered. Ruka wasn't sure if Natsume qualified as a "bad" drunk or not. It wasn't bad, he was just night and day different. Cold, sullen, mean, Natsume became suddenly smiling, vulnerable, and soft.

"And," Natsume murmured, kind of slurring. "You're not gonna come closer?"

Ruka's heart jumped. No! How could Natsume tempt him like that?

"Seriously, I'm freezing," he went on, his eyes pleading with Ruka.

Ruka chewed his lower lip until it bled a little as he lie down ever so slowly beside Natsume in the king-sized bed. He took care to leave a few feet between them, even though his entire body was burning to grab Natsume right now.

Through the cool sheets, a warm hand found Ruka's and pulled. And in a second, Natsume was snuggling up to Ruka's side, hugging him around his waist.

"It's no use unless you come _closer." _

Ruka, practically petrified, managed a nod. Was Natsume reading his mind?

No, he wasn't. Because Natsume was quickly beginning to drift to sleep now, and in Ruka's mind, Natsume was _not _sleeping.

"Ne, Natsume," Ruka whispered in the raven-haired boy's ear. "Don't go to sleep."

"Mm."

"Come on. I'll keep you awake, okay?" Ruka's hands intwined in Natsume's messy locks of obsidian hair. He ran his fingers through its softness, secretly inhaling his delicious scent.

"Mm, yeah," Natsume said nonchalantly. "Thafeelsgood."

"Mhm," Ruka purred. "And so does this." Ruka traced his hands down Natsume's back, lifting his shirt and touching his smooth bare skin. He wound his way around to his front, tracing the lines of Natsume's abs… His—though it embarrassed Ruka to use such a phrase—_rock hard _abs.

Natsume only grunted a little in reply. Ruka couldn't stop himself anymore. His lips crashed upon Natsume's, and his controlling fingers fumbled with Natsume's belt, wasting no time.

Natsume, surprised, but too deep into his intoxicated stupor, relaxed into Ruka's grip and let him, still under the belief that yeah, it just felt good and kept him awake.

A strange fury and passion had overtaken Ruka, and for a long moment, he was controlling. His hands tore off Natsume's clothes, and in return, acting on reflex, Natsume pulled gently on Ruka's too. Anxious, crazy hands found their way quickly into Natsume's shorts, going right where they shouldn't be, making Natsume grab handfuls of Ruka's hair. The uncontrolled moan that came from Natsume a few moments later satisfied Ruka very much, so that he continued to press his mouth to his neck, to his chest, his stomach, until he made his way all the way down into the blankets and he was able to make Natsume cry out again. In a sick, weird way, Ruka had never tasted something so sweet.

After all was said and done, Ruka had gotten all out of Natsume that he had, and hadn't gotten much from the drunken boy in return. But nonetheless Ruka was suddenly happier than he'd been in a very long time. He'd gotten closer to Natsume than he'd ever dreamed, and felt, seen, smelled, heard, and tasted every part of him he's always wanted to. And he loved him so much. He smiled warmly as Natsume curled up and cuddled to Ruka's warm body.

"Now I'm warm," he concluded.

Ruka laughed. "Good."

"Can I sleep now?" Natsume asked, sounding like a child. Though _nothing _that just happened was in any way childlike.

Ruka grinned, stroking his best friend's hair lovingly. "Yes, Natsume."

"Mm," Natsume said, putting his face into Ruka's collarbone. His breath was warm on Ruka's naked skin.

Ruka's mind was a jumble of confusion and guilt underneath his physical euphoria. He felt intense chagrin toward the savage way he'd just behaved; the way he'd completely taken advantage of Natsume, and the fact that he had been aggressive. Ruka was not an aggressive person. The fact that his temptation had become that great and he couldn't hold himself was concerning to Ruka.

And, worse, in the morning, Natsume probably would have no idea any of it happened.

But, it was better than him being conscious, right? How would Ruka explain if Natsume recollected everything in the morning. Wait, what if he _did? _

Ruka panicked, but calmed himself with the thought that Natsume was simply too drunk. Almost guaranteed a blackout. Ruka had only wanted him to be his for a little while. Just once, he wanted to show Nat how much he loved him. He grew sad because tomorrow, it would be like he never knew, and he would walk straight back to Mikan.

It didn't matter. Right now, Natsume was right where Ruka wanted him: in his arms, warm, happy, and safe. He held the boy tighter, kissing his forehead gently.

Natsume murmured happily, almost inaudible, "Ruka, I love you."

Whether it was the alcohol talking or not now, Ruka beamed with joy. He kissed Natsume's lips now without fear and said, "I love _you_, Natsume." He closed his eyes and wished that at least that part, Natsume would remember tomorrow.


	2. Chapter 2: Natsume Breaks

**This one's a little... eh. I don't know. It's angsty and kinda mushy. But I wrote it, so I may as well do something useful with it. Sorry if anything's out of character. I get a little carried away and emotional :P Oh well :) Hope someone likes!  
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**I don't own Gakuen Alice. **

**Oh, and I wanted to point out that the different chapters in this story don't connect together in any way. They're just random drabbles. Different settings, ages, time periods, and all that for each one.  
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**Enjoy  
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"Need. P-pills… now," Natsume fell against the wall in the infirmary hallway, panting hard, the pain in his chest rising with every breath. He gripped the edge for support, resisting the urge to fall to the floor now and lie there forever. The pain was getting bad again, but there wasn't any time for healing yet.

"Oh, dear," the nurse he'd spoken to turned and came to Natsume's side. "Just look at you. Come on and lie down." She could see that not only was Natsume drained, he was injured. Blotches of black and blue were dispersed all over his body, tears were in his uniform, exposing crimson stains. He was covered in ashes and scrapes. He panted like a dog from the sheer exhaustion.

It happened all too often. Natsume was becoming a more regular patient as he used his Alice more and more. Drained his life more and more. And not only did he refuse to stop, he refused proper treatment on many occasions, just opting to take a handful of pills to ease the pain and suppress the coughs and then go on like normal and use his power all over again.

She didn't understand what made the boy do it. Was he delusional? Natsume was all too aware of his quickly dwindling lifespan… he didn't seem to care. And he was in pain, _so _much pain.

"Really, Hyuuga-kun, you're unwell. Rest here for a little while, please."

"I'll be fine. Just give me the medicine," the raven-haired boy choked out the words.

Defeated, the nurse knew there was no making him. She hurried into another room and returned with a little orange bottle and handed it off to the young boy.

"Thanks," he grunted, wincing as the pain piqued again. Hurriedly, he twisted the cap and swallowed four, dry, and as quickly as he came, Natsume Hyuuga was running out the door.

He stopped short when he almost ran into somebody in the lobby, as they were coming in and he was leaving. Perplexed, the other person stepped back, and the blonde-headed Kaname Sono stared down at Natsume, smiling. Joining him was his best friend, and the all too familiar voice of Tsubasa Andou said,

"Natsume-kun? You're in an awful hurry."

Natsume nodded, "Yeah. I have to do something." He struggled to keep his voice calm. The burning pain grew, and the agony was tearing at his chest.

Kaname saw the pain in Natsume's expression, and at second glance saw all the injuries that covered the boy head to toe. "Natsume-kun, is there something wrong?" he asked gently, though he knew the answer.

Natsume clenched his hands into tight fists; he didn't have time to argue, so he spat, "Yeah."

Kaname gave a sad smile, "Maybe you want to talk about it? I might know a thing or two." He only offered because he knew that in this case, he actually understood _the _Natsume Hyuuga best.

Natsume shook his head, trying not to frown. "No thanks. I have to go." He pushed his way past the two seniors and took off running.

He ran hard, towards the woods, in an effort to just get as far away as possible before it came. He couldn't let any doctors or anything see; they'd drag him off to bed. He couldn't let anyone see. He sprinted until he couldn't bear the pain anymore, and collapsed under a sakura tree in the middle of the forest.

It felt like a knife was in his chest, and Natsume clutched it desperately as he coughed. Retching, he curled up in a ball on the grass and the warm taste of blood filled his mouth. When that passed, a raw, sore, burning was left in his throat, his chest throbbed, and his lungs ached unbearably. More blood came from God knows where, and he could feel the stickiness on the grass he lie upon. Nothing could motivate him to even care. He lie there, gasping for air, holding his torso tight as tremors of pain wracked his entire frame.

_Just a little while longer and it'll pass… come on. _

After what felt like an hour of agony, but was likely only a few minutes, the pain began to slowly ease in Natsume's chest. Then his throat. Soon enough, only a dull ache remained in his lungs and a little sting from some of the cuts and burns. Natsume sat up slowly, leaning against the tree trunk in defeat.

It was a never-ending cycle. He would be called out on a mission, get destroyed mentally and physically, and return with barely enough time to kind of heal himself before another assignment arrived. It happened again and again. He was a damn Academy puppet.

He hated it. He hated them. The Academy. Forcing him to go out and act as their personal murder machine. Expending his energy and his life. Okay, so Persona would argue it wasn't force, but how could Natsume _not _agree when the alternative was to place everyone he loved in danger? His sister, Aoi. Ruka. Mikan. Any of his classmates. Better him than any of them. None of them deserved it. He did. He was the one with the Alice that was designed to destroy. What else could he use it for but harm? So many people... so many flames. Screaming… He was so guilty. Sure, a lot of the people he killed were criminals, but he was no better now. He was a murderer. He took _lives. _Mothers, fathers, sons, daughters… he was responsible for ending their lives, for destroying their families. Even criminals had families and people who mourned for them. It was Natsume's fault. It was all his fucking fault…

Just like the fire.

What else was he good for anyway? This Alice, the so-called gift was his damn curse. He was stuck with the uncanny ability and incredible power to destroy. And they all just couldn't wait to take advantage of that. That fucking gift.

_'Natsume's so talented.'_

_ 'Natsume's a natural born fighter.'_

_ 'A killing machine.' 'The Black Cat.' 'Slyest, smartest, and most powerful assassin yet.'_

"This is what I'm talented at," Natsume said to himself in defeat. "Being powerful and dangerous. Destruction."

The breeze blew gently, stirring up fallen sakura petals and rustling his hair. Petals surrounded him, falling like pink snow, and he snatched one and incinerated it in his palm. He stood up quickly, giving a punch to the tree, liking the hole it tore in his knuckles. "Destruction's my talent. Might as well destroy."

Feeling the artificial power high that came with the drugs, Natsume has his Alice back. He light up his palms, and threw flames at the innocent sakura tree. Moving on, he torched the next three trees, almost laughing when they went up in an eruption of orange heat. He ran again, heading deeper into the forest, leaving flaming footprints in the grass as he went.

Fury overtook him and he screamed at the top of his sore lungs as he reduced two more bushes to ash. He torched the flowers that bloomed at his feet, and then, feeling the heat of the giant inferno he'd created around him, he took off his sweater and tossed it into the dancing flames. He watched as the wall of fire closed in around him, telling himself he was so proud of what he'd created.

_See, Alice Academy. See how talented Natsume Hyuuga is? You said so yourselves. I am so powerful. I did all this. _

Mezmerized in watcghing the flames, Natsume stood right up beside his blazing forest fire and looked right into the heart of this monster and laughed. So this was what it looked like to all his victims in their time of death. Faced with a wall of flames and smoke, and staring into it's white hot heat until it surrounds you and engulfs you and you burn. You _scream _and _panic _and _agonize. _

Natsume let out another agonized scream and plunged into the sea of fire, wishing—but knowing he wouldn't—burn like the people he murdered. Not a single flame touched him, though, his Alice also serving as a protectant against his own creation.

He sprinted through the sea of flames, feeling almost like a surfer might inside of a curling wave. He plowed through the tunnel of flames and came out the other side, at the edge of the woods and gave a fleeting glance back at what his rage had done.

His eyes went immediately toward the base of the forest, where the few trees that were not yet completely engulfed stood. He watched as animals of all shapes and sizes fled the scene. Squirrels and chipmunks leapt from treetops, birds flew by the hundred, deer and rabbits ran wildly, all looking terrified. Now he was horrified too.

Rabbits. Ruka.

Overwhelming guilt and regret washed over Natsume's entire being. Ruka. Ruka was all he could think of as he watched scared and innocent wildlife running for their lives. Running from the monstrous beast he'd created. He'd destroyed their homes, all because he had a senseless fit of rage.

_I didn't think I could make anything worse. _

In one second, Natsume extinguished the flames he held in his hands, and like a switch, the flames went out, and Natsume was left to stare, horrified, at smoking ashes that used to be the bright green forest.

He couldn't bear the pain and shame that was rising in him now. Like he always did, he turned and ran away from the new problem he'd created.

He made his way into the Northern Woods this time, and fell to his knees under a pine tree. He knew that somewhere close lived the sadistic bear that that idiot Kaname had created, but he figured if the thing wanted to beat him up, he deserved every last bit.

_I hate myself. _Natsume collapsed to the dirt, curling up in the bed of pine needles that covered the ground and pulled his knees up to his chest. He wanted to kick himself. No, he wanted to _burn _himself, but he never could. Pain filled his chest, a new kind of pain. It wasn't physical; it was worse. Tears filled his eyes, and Natsume let them fall, succumbing to sobs when they came. And for the first time in a long time, he discarded pride, and just cried like a child.

After a miserable time that could have been hours or seconds, Natsume became absently aware of soft hands on his shoulders.

So someone had found him. It was one of two people; only two people would ever actually go looking for him. He crossed his fingers it wasn't her. She didn't need to see him in this state of darkness. She would never understand. She would hate him. She would be afraid.

"Natsume," a familiar voice spoke soothingly. Ruka's voice.

Natsume made no response. Ruka should hate him. Hadn't he seen what he'd done?

"It's okay, Natsume." Ruka's hands pulled Natsume involuntarily up off the ground and wrapped around him tight, cradling his head into his warm chest. "Don't cry."

"Ruka...I don't know what… I lost control. I… I can't believe I… destroyed so much. I'm so…"

"Shh," Ruka said softly. "I know. It wasn't your fault."

Natsume didn't reply. The two boys stayed content with embracing each other, and Ruka wiped Natsume's tears as they streamed down. It'd been so incredibly long that Natsume had held it together. Ruka held him there for a long while, stroking his soft hair and his back, and whispering meaningless coos of comfort. He was so incredibly sad for Natsume, for this entire situation, but just a little bit happy because he was here being his best friend's comfort.

When they broke their embrace, the two lie down on the cool ground, side by stared up at the now darkening sky, Natsume finally drying his eyes.

"How did you find me?" Natsume asked Ruka. "I thought you were in Central Town with everyone else."

"I was," Ruka nodded. "Tsubasa-senpai came and found me. He said there was something wrong; that Kaname-senpai insisted someone go see if you were okay."

_Of course. I should have known better than to brush off those two. Kaname really is a caring person that way, and Tsubasa's nosy as hell. _

"Don't all the teachers know? Shouldn't they all be marching over here and dragging me away to be punished…?" Natsume swallowed hard. "Does Persona know?"

Ruka held Natsume's hand. "Narumi-sensei followed me here. When he saw I found you and you were alive, he left. I don't think you'll be punished. Narumi's funny that way; he seems to be able to convince all the teachers otherwise. He said he was going to make sure that Persona wouldn't know."

Natsume sighed. "That stupid Naru. So strange."

"He's awfully helpful like that sometimes, though."

"Hn. Ruka?"

"Yes?"

"Thank you." Natsume's crimson eyes found Ruka's sapphire ones.

"Of course, Natsume," Ruka smiled.

"You're not angry about everything I destroyed? You can tell me if you are. It's okay. All the animals running… All I thought of was you…" Natsume mused, words coming out clumsily like they hardly ever did.

Ruka gave the other boy's hand a squeeze. "No. You didn't mean to. Everybody breaks."

Natsume squeezed Ruka's hand back. "I'm pretty tired. We should go back."

"Okay," Ruka said, standing and helping Natsume up. The two walked back toward the school side by side, silent as the sun set behind them. They made their way back to the dormitory and at the end of the hallway where their two rooms were split, Natsume stopped and asked,

"Stay with me tonight?" It was the first time he'd ever asked Ruka, versus the other way around.

"Gladly." Ruka smiled sincerely at his best friend.

They went to Natsume's room and quickly prepared for bed, even though it was just barely after sunset. Natsume was dead tired, and Ruka wasn't going to keep him from rest he needed. The two got into Natsume's special star bed and it was the greatest relief.

Before letting himself fall into the clutches of sleep that were desperately calling for him, Natsume rolled over to press his cheek to Ruka's side. Ruka wrapped one around his shoulders and pulled him so he could lie on his shoulder.

"Sleep. Everything will be different tomorrow," Ruka told him. He resisted to say that it would be "better." He knew the reality of the world in which Natsume lived.

"Mm," Natsume murmured, already on his way there.

"Goodnight, Natsume."

Natsume's eyes were shut tight, his bruised, ashy, face gone emotionless and calm. Ruka laughed quietly, as not to wake the serenely sleeping boy in his arms.

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**Reviews?  
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**Thanks for reading! :) Sorry I'm so emotional and dramatic. Was it too out of character?  
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